---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The war is waged by each ruling group…"
description: "\"“The war is waged by each ruling group against its own subjects, and the object of the war is not to make or prevent conquests of territory, but to kee..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/180/george-orwell-57_peace_the-war-is-waged-by-each-ruling-group-ag_2861782.jpg"
---

#  The war is waged by each ruling group against its own…

![“The war is waged by each ruling group against its own subjects, and the object of the war is not to make or prevent conquests of territory, but to keep the structure of society intact.” quote by George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/180/george-orwell-57_peace_the-war-is-waged-by-each-ruling-group-ag_2861782.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/180/george-orwell-57_peace_the-war-is-waged-by-each-ruling-group-ag_2861782.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/180/george-orwell-57_peace_the-war-is-waged-by-each-ruling-group-ag_2861782.jpg)

> ““The war is waged by each ruling group against its own subjects, and the object of the war is not to make or prevent conquests of territory, but to keep the structure of society intact.””

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Power structures wage war on their own people to preserve societal order, not territorial gain.

**In simple terms:** War maintains social structure.

Key Takeaway

Question authority’s motives.

Themes

politics control society

Mood

critical serious

Type

political philosophical

When to use this quote

- activism
- education
- policy analysis
- community organizing

Key Concepts

critical theory philosophy

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do societies resist change?
- How can individuals protect freedoms?

A Different Perspective

Power may also inspire positive change.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/)

## Related quotes

> [“In our own day they are not fighting against one another at all. The war is waged by each ruling group against its own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-our-own-day-they-are-not-fighting-against-one-another-at-all-the/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [The war is waged against its own subjects and its object is not the victory...but to keep the very structure of society intact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-war-is-waged-against-its-own-subjects-and-its-object-is-not-the/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [“War, it will be seen, is now a purely internal affair. In the past, the ruling groups of all countries, although they might recognize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/war-it-will-be-seen-is-now-a-purely-internal-affair-in-the-past-the/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [“It is not meant to be won, it is meant to be continuous...to keep the very structure of society intact.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/it-is-not-meant-to-be-won-it-is-meant-to-be-continuous-to-keep-the/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [The essence of oligarchical rule is not father-to-son inheritance, but the persistence of a certain world-view and a certain way of life ... A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-essence-of-oligarchical-rule-is-not-father-to-son-inheritance-but-3/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [“There are only four ways in which a ruling group can fall from power. Either it is conquered from without, or it governs so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/there-are-only-four-ways-in-which-a-ruling-group-can-fall-from-power/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [But the problems of perpetuating a hierarchical society go deeper than this. There are only four ways in which a ruling group can fall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/but-the-problems-of-perpetuating-a-hierarchical-society-go-deeper/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [The essence of oligarchical rule is not father-to-son inheritance, but the persistence of a certain world-view and a certain way of life, imposed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-essence-of-oligarchical-rule-is-not-father-to-son-inheritance-but-2/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [“The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to be continuous. Hierarchical society is only possible on the basis of poverty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-war-is-not-meant-to-be-won-it-is-meant-to-be-continuous-2/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [“It's not a matter of whether the war is not real, or if it is, Victory is not possible. The war is not meant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/it-s-not-a-matter-of-whether-the-war-is-not-real-or-if-it-is-victory/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [I think you will find scientists that think like you in Germany and Britain, and you will find politicians that think like Weinberger. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-p-thompson/i-think-you-will-find-scientists-that-think-like-you-in-germany-and/)

[E. P. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-p-thompson/)

> [For art to be 'unpolitical' means only to ally itself with the 'ruling' group.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/for-art-to-be-unpolitical-means-only-to-ally-itself-with-the-ruling/)

[Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/)

> [“The little boats cannot make much difference to the welfare of Gaza either way, since the materials being shipped are in such negligible quantity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-little-boats-cannot-make-much-difference-to-the-welfare-of-gaza/)

[Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/)

> [Il est plus facile de faire la guerre que la paix. It is far easier to make war than to make peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-clemenceau/il-est-plus-facile-de-faire-la-guerre-que-la-paix-it-is-far-easier-to/)

[Georges Clemenceau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-clemenceau/)

> [The way to win an atomic war is to make certain it never starts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-n-bradley/the-way-to-win-an-atomic-war-is-to-make-certain-it-never-starts/)

[Omar N. Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-n-bradley/)

## More by George Orwell

> [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [It was given out that the animals there practised cannibalism, tortured one another with red-hot horseshoes, and had their females in common. This was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/it-was-given-out-that-the-animals-there-practised-cannibalism/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [“The actual writing would be easy. All he had to do was to transfer to paper the interminable restless monologue that had been running…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-actual-writing-would-be-easy-all-he-had-to-do-was-to-transfer-to/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [He felt as though he were wandering in the forests of the sea bottom, lost in a monstrous world where he himself was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/he-felt-as-though-he-were-wandering-in-the-forests-of-the-sea-bottom/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [“if you took 1 Corinthians, chapter thirteen, and in every verse wrote 'money' instead of 'charity', the chapter had ten times as much meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/if-you-took-1-corinthians-chapter-thirteen-and-in-every-verse-wrote/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [Happiness can exist only in acceptance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/happiness-can-exist-only-in-acceptance/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed—if all records told the same tale—then the lie passed into history and became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/and-if-all-others-accepted-the-lie-which-the-party-imposed-if-all/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [“Whitman himself "accepted" a great deal that his contemporaries found unmentionable. For he is not only writing of the prairie, he also wanders through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/whitman-himself-accepted-a-great-deal-that-his-contemporaries-found/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [“But I tell you, Winston, that reality is not external. Reality exists in the human mind, and nowhere else. Whatever the Party holds to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/but-i-tell-you-winston-that-reality-is-not-external-reality-exists-in/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [“And the people under the sky were also very much the same...everywhere, all over the world, hundreds or thousands of millions of people just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/and-the-people-under-the-sky-were-also-very-much-the-same-everywhere/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [Don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/don-t-you-see-that-the-whole-aim-of-newspeak-is-to-narrow-the-range/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [Windmill or no windmill, he said, life would go on as it had always gone on--that is, badly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/windmill-or-no-windmill-he-said-life-would-go-on-as-it-had-always/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [“Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/man-is-the-only-creature-that-consumes-without-producing-he-does-not/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [And the bigger the fall, the bigger the joke. It would be better fun to throw a custard pie at a bishop than at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/and-the-bigger-the-fall-the-bigger-the-joke-it-would-be-better-fun-to/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [“Any writer or journalist who wants to retain his integrity finds himself thwarted by the general drift of society rather than by active persecution.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/any-writer-or-journalist-who-wants-to-retain-his-integrity-finds/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

[Explore all 1,657 George Orwell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

## More Peace quotes

> [Just understand that the good that you want is already here. All you have to do is get in harmony with it. And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/just-understand-that-the-good-that-you-want-is-already-here-all-you/)

[Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/)

> [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/)

[Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/)

> [“Peace requires a discipline more iron than war. - Easter, 1939 ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-j-turner/peace-requires-a-discipline-more-iron-than-war-easter-1939/)

W.J. Turner

> [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Achieving mental harmony is one of the greatest goals and experiences in life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kambiz-mostofizadeh/achieving-mental-harmony-is-one-of-the-greatest-goals-and-experiences/)

[Kambiz Mostofizadeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kambiz-mostofizadeh/)

> [When we are capable of living in the moment free from the tyranny of "shoulds," free from the nagging sensation that this moment isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-z-borysenko/when-we-are-capable-of-living-in-the-moment-free-from-the-tyranny-of/)

[Joan Z. Borysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-z-borysenko/)

> [“Tranquillity is courage in repose. It is a statical manifestation of valor, as daring deeds are a dynamical. A truly brave man is ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inazo-nitobe/tranquillity-is-courage-in-repose-it-is-a-statical-manifestation-of/)

[Inazo Nitobe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inazo-nitobe/)

> [“There is no fortune greater than peace; there is no force greater than peace; there is no excellent tapas greater than peace; there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muruganar/there-is-no-fortune-greater-than-peace-there-is-no-force-greater-than/)

[Muruganar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muruganar/)

> [Give me love, give me peace on earth, give me light, give me life, keep me free from birth, give me hope, help me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/give-me-love-give-me-peace-on-earth-give-me-light-give-me-life-keep/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [ Vote for Donald Trump. You're going to see something and you'll be so happy, you'll be so thrilled. This \[presidential\] election is about every… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/vote-for-donald-trump-you-re-going-to-see-something-and-you-ll-be-so/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/)

[Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/)

> [The great force for forging a society into a solid mass has always been war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-great-force-for-forging-a-society-into-a-solid-mass-has-always/)

[William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/)

> [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Peace is the first thing the angels sang. Peace is the mark of the children of God. Peace is the nurse of love. Peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-i/peace-is-the-first-thing-the-angels-sang-peace-is-the-mark-of-the/)

[Pope Leo I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-i/)

> [War is like a fire. One man may start it, but it will spread all over. It is not about one thing in particular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/war-is-like-a-fire-one-man-may-start-it-but-it-will-spread-all-over/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

[Browse all 27,655 Peace quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“The war is waged by each ruling group against its own subjects, and the object of the war is not to make or prevent conquests of territory, but to keep the structure of society intact.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "George Orwell"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-war-is-waged-by-each-ruling-group-against-its-own-subjects-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Peace"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-war-is-waged-by-each-ruling-group-against-its-own-subjects-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/180/george-orwell-57_peace_the-war-is-waged-by-each-ruling-group-ag_2861782.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/180/george-orwell-57_peace_the-war-is-waged-by-each-ruling-group-ag_2861782.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/180/george-orwell-57_peace_the-war-is-waged-by-each-ruling-group-ag_2861782.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The war is waged by each ruling group against its own subjects, and the object of the war is not to make or…” — George Orwell",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "George Orwell",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“The war is waged by each...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-war-is-waged-by-each-ruling-group-against-its-own-subjects-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-war-is-waged-by-each-ruling-group-against-its-own-subjects-and/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
